The use of Silica from beach sand as catalyst in Magnesium based hydrides for Hydrogen storage materials

Magnesium (Mg) as one of the potential candidate material for absorbing hydrogen, because theoretically has the ability to absorb large quantities of hydrogen 7,6 wt%. However, the kinetic reaction of Mg is very slow. Its takes 60 minutes to adsorp hydrogen with the operating temperature (adsorb/desorb) high of 350°C. Therefore, in this study discusses the hydrogen storage materials based on MgH₂-SiO₂. The purpose of this study to improve desorption temperature of hydrogen storage system based on MgH₂. The main material is MgH₂ combined with inserting SiO₂ catalyst was successfully extracted from quartz sand with coprecipitation method. As for the material preparation process is done with the technique of mechanical alloying. Milling MgH₂+SiO₂ samples using a ball milling for 5 hours, with the ratio of ball to powder 10:1 and a speed of 400 rpm. By variation of the catalyst insertion of 1 wt%, 3 wt%, and 5 wt% of SiO₂. The results of XRD measurement known that the sample was reduced to scale nanocrystal. Phase arising from the result of XRD observation are MgH₂ phase as the main phase, and SiO₂ phase as a minor phase. DSC testing results show that the lowest desorption temperature obtained on the sample with the addition of inserts weight of the catalyst 5 wt% SiO₂ has milling for 5 hours which is equal 307,11°C.